Dust mites can be a real pain and more often than not they live inside our kids soft toys.
Dust mite allergy is one of the most common allergies, and I’m sure most people don’t realise this could be the reason behind a lot of sinus or hay fever symptoms.
Dust mites like to hide in the following:
- Soft toys
- Quilts
- Sheet
- Mattress
- Pillows
- Curtains
- Carpet
- Furniture and Clothes
Here to washed stuffed toys
- Pop the soft toys into a laundry bag.
- Use your usual detergent.
- Add in 4-6 drops of tea tree essential oil as this is a natural disinfectant.
- Reshape them when they come out of the wash.
- Either hang them by the ears to dry or lay them flat too dry.
- Give them a little dry brush with a soft brush to get them looking fluffy again.
In the freezer
Place the soft toy into a plastic bag and pop in the freezer for 24 hours and this will also kill the dust mites and bacteria. Once they have thawed out you can just put them in the dryer on a low setting for about 15-20 minutes to shake them up.
Vacuum
Another thing you can do is vacuum them. I know it sounds strange but a good vacuum every week using the nozzle removes the dust mites as well as dirt and fluffs up the fur at the same time.
Steam
For delicate soft toys, steam out the dirt and grime with a handheld steamer. The steam will sanitise the toy, making it safe for your child to cuddle with, steam will also help deep clean toys with batteries that can’t go in the washing machine.
